To Crooks, from me
by floralscent
Summary: A male. A female. As trials befall upon them, will they end up seeking their happily ever after? Please read and review and critique, thanks!


I do not own anything.  
Everything and anything you recognize is not mine! It all belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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A roar of thunder shook the whole house and Hermione Granger huddled herself in her blanket even more tightly. A soft meow came from the foot of her bed and she sighed before picking up Crookshanks and placing him on the bed next to her.

"Hey, Crooks. Hey, baby. Come to keep me company on this dark, dark night, then?" She asked. "Or are you afraid of the thunder as well?" Crookshanks ignored her and burrowed himself deeper into the pillows. She chuckled to herself softly and rubbed his belly in a loving manner.

'If only he was here as well...'_, _she thought. No, she shook her head roughly. She would not go down this route again. Time heals everything... and forgetting him takes time. She snatched up a book from her side table and opened it to a random page.

_Sometimes, it is better to tell people your inner struggles, instead of keeping it to yourself._

What? She recoiled in shock as she read that sentence over and over again till it had become a blur. It was true, after she had broken up with him, she had hidden herself from everything. But she was the type to conceal, and not feel. She glanced at Crookshanks, who was looking up at her. 'Maybe, maybe it's the time for me to tell someone. But not now. Maybe only Crooks...'

_She had met him in a tiny coffeeshop, just the side off Diagon Alley, where one could sit and observe the passerbys yet avoid the paparazzi. He had been working as a barista there, and needless to say, she was shocked upon seeing him. Draco Malfoy, working in a simple coffeeshop? She had voiced this thought aloud and he had chuckled in response before giving her a drink for free. His shift over, he had approached her and they had enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together. Upon realizing how common their interests lie in, a chance meeting led to dating and eventually, a proposal. However, all that changed two nights before the wedding.._

_It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning crackled across the dark sky and as she hurried to close the windows of her apartment, a sudden movement was spotted. She drew out her wand and opened the front door gingerly, ready for the attack but relaxed upon seeing her fiance. Her warm greeting had been brushed off rudely and she had rose an eyebrow at him. To say that he wasn't fidgety would be an understatement. He sat down on the couch, paced around the house before sitting back down again. She had asked him what was wrong, and the look in his eyes, she could remember those eyes forever. They were full of love, yet she could sense there was a wall in place. He had given her a tight embrace before disappearing with a crack._

_The day of the wedding came, and although she was excited, she felt a sense of foreboding, which she tried to erase. Her right eye twitched uncontrollably and fearing for the worse, had asked her father to check. Her father had come back into the room, his face red with anger and he had even punched the wall. Words need not be said. The answer came in the form of a newspaper, The Daily Prophet, the next day._

_Malfoy Heir Not To Be Found_  
_By: Rita Skeeter_  
_Well! It seems like the delicious looking Malfoy heir has finally come to his senses and decided NOT to go through with his_  
_marriage to the mudblood queen, Hermione Granger. Rumours are running around as to why the youngest Malfoy did not_  
_turn up for his wedding yesterday. But all I can say is, good job, Draco! Just because she's part of the Golden Trio_  
_doesn't mean she's everything. Remember her blood, dearie. There are plentiful of pureblooded females to go_  
_around! And my sources tell me you are doing exactly that. My dear readers, you know I will never leave you_  
_out of the scoop. So, stay tuned to this delicious gossip with your one and only,_  
_Rita Skeeter._

_Upon reading that article, Hermione had immediately delved into depression and built her walls back up. She was never going to forgive him. Never._

"But Crooks," she said as she wiped a tear away. "As much as it hurt me that I was left at the altar on my own wedding day, I still miss him..."

"Me too..."

Startled, she turned around and was embraced in a engulfing hug with a very familiar body structure and an even familiar cologne. She quickly wrenched herself out and spat, "Draco!"

"Hey... before you say anything... Stupefy! Silencio! I'm sorry I needed to do that, but I really wanted you to listen to me." She continued to glare at him in her frozen state and he took it as a sign to continue.

"My dearest Hermione, words can never express the numerous feelings I have felt these past few months. I know I have hurt you, and cut you deep. But it was not my doing. It was not my intention to do so. Being with you, it's one in a million, and my smiles are from ear to ear. I have made my mistakes, I do see that. Listen to me now and listen clear. You know my parents were not really supportive of this relationship, yet I risk all. Don't believe in anything Skeeter says, you know to not trust her since our Hogwarts days. My mother was still okay, but my father... he kidnapped me against my own will, knocked me out such that I woke up with no recollection about our relationship at all. It was only through the kind graces of many people that I found everything out again. I know it is difficult for you to understand this or even believe it, but if you want, you can test me with Veritaserum or delve into my mind. I will not even put up any walls."

Draco lifted the spell and tears immediately flowed down Hermione's face. For Draco to admit all these, when he is not the kind to open up, it really meant something. Not even during their relationship had he once expressed to her his feelings but there was no need to, his eyes... his actions said it all. As for now, she could sense his anguish and his love. It now seemed that the smirking, confident man of Draco Malfoy had dwindled to an insecure little boy who was afraid of showing affection for fear of being cursed by his father.

"I do not know what to say,,, I trust you, I definitely do. But I'm not sure if I am ready for you to come back into my life. I mean, it is all too sudden! And with Skeeter and all... I sympathize with you, Draco, but I'm... I'm just not sure..." she whimpered.

He felt his heart sink a little upon hearing those words. However, he could understand where she was coming from. After all, when they first got together as an official couple, there were protests from both sides. However, it was worse for Hermione, as she had just gotten over a bad breakup with Ron before she got together with Draco, and the whole Weasley family had immediately took Ron's side. Save for Ginny, who was the best girl friend anyone could have, especially as she had gotten together with Blaise Zabini only a month prior. In addition, the Weasley clan as well as Harry had turned down their invitations for the wedding and sent howlers instead. She had been distraught, unconsolable for weeks, but he had been there to remind her that he will always be there for her. He disappearing on the day of her wedding had to be the icing on the cake, she must have felt like she was worth nothing.

His heart broke again for her, as he swore revenge against his father. When he had finally woken up a month after the wedding, he had found himself to be in St. Mungo's hospital. There was a pretty witch at his bedside, Tina, and he had automatically assumed that she was his significant other because of all the memories he had of both of them. They dated, and one day, he proposed to her. She had declined and after many tearful apologies had been given, she had lifted the spell off him and at once, all the memories he had of Hermione and him were flooding his mind. Shocked and angered, he had pinned her against the wall and demanded to know everything. Apparently, his very own father had forced Tina, a pureblood lady, to place a specific spell on Draco everyday such that he will have all his memories of Hermione gone and have fake memories of Tina instead. Draco had not believed Tina and it was only through reading past copies of _The Daily Prophet_ that had been hidden from him that he found out everything. It was with much difficulty that he managed to track down Blaise, who told him everything in two sentences.

"Look into your heart, Draco. She was and is your all."

And now, he was finally here. Yet, she was rejecting him. After all he had been through for her, was this... it, then? He had poured out his heart and overwhelmed her with his love, but he could still feel a wall. Unable to take rejection well, he steeled his emotions and murmured, "I understand. Take all the time you need."

He then turned on his feet, walked towards the front door and opened it. Just before he left, he said quietly, "it was not easy for me either. Having my own father tell a witch to implant fake memories into my mind and lying in the relationship I thought I had with her. I thought the memories of you and I were false, actually... and I would be lying if I said that I did not have affections for her. However, I somehow knew that you and I... we had and shared love. It was Blaise who confirmed it and told me everything I needed to know."

The door clicked shut.

**- One year later -**

Draco was working hard at his desk. Ever since his "break-up" with Hermione that stormy night, he had busied himself with work. He had refused to think about her at all and even though Blaise often asked him out for a guys' night, he had refused as he knew that they would talk feelings and Blaise would inform Ginny about it, who would then tell Hermione.

There was a knock and the door opened. "Someone to see you, Mr. Malfoy. The person is not willing to divulge her name." His secretary said. Shaking his head, Draco replied, "if there isn't a name, the person is not important enough for me to see."

"Not even me?"

His head whipped up quickly as he looked at the visitor. "What are you doing here?" He asked. Hermione smiled softly and answered, "I just wanted to see how you were doing." He snorted in reply and gestured to the seat. "A drink? Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

"Draco... you know I don't drink coffee. It's not good for my health." He nodded and proceeded to pour out pumpkin juice for her. There was silence as they locked eyes with each other before he came around to the other side of the table and held her hand delicately like she was a porcelain doll. "I miss you."

She giggled like a blushing schoolgirl. "I miss you too, you fool. But you know what?" He rose an eyebrow and holding his hand, placed it on her protruding tummy. "Tammy misses you more." He smirked and placed a gentle kiss on her stomach.

How would it have been, if two weeks after their "break-up", Draco had not stormed into her flat, and pouring Veritaserum down his throat, forced her to ask him questions? How would it have been, if the next night, he had not burst into her office and asked her to take him back as he could not bear the thought of living life without her anymore? And how would it have been, if three months later, they had not eloped to Venice and gotten married secretly? Draco was never able to think of what could happen even though Hermione had always told him, "I believe fate will still bring us together eventually."

"And so, my dear Crooks, this is our story. Although it is a little long, I am glad you...Crooks! Aww, Draco, look. Crooks fell asleep while I was telling our story to him." Hermione sighed. Draco, who was perched next to her on the bed, smiled and placed a kiss on her temple. "Come on, it's time for bed. Let's place Crookshanks on the floor, and get to sleeping. Tomorrow's Christmas Day, and I'm fairly certain we will be bombarded in the morning by Tammy, Douglas, Howie and Ellie. Have a good night, my love."

Hermione kissed him lightly and grabbing her diary, wrote one simple sentence.

"The road may be tough and filled with obstacles but through it all, I am glad I am able to have this family which I can call mine."

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Thanks for reading!  
It's my first full length, oneshot story. Review if you caught the _Frozen _part :)

Critique if need be, but please do note it IS my first long story!


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